Modern black building with a large glass entrance, surrounded by a landscaped courtyard and a blue sky.

Hardie® Plank: The Trenders Barn Development

When Barry Daly, company director of BUDA Building and Development, went to visit an old reclaim yard in Rawreth to purchase some oak for a development he was working on, all he found was a barren site.

Project at a glance

Modern barns meet timeless cladding

The reclaim yard had been shut down and by coincidence, the owner was an old school friend of Barry’s who was looking to sell it. Barry proceeded to buy the site, for which an application for a barn type development had already been made and granted.

The development, Trenders Barn, consists of four timber frame luxury detached properties, each with a unique design.

Along with the need for a high-quality finish for such a premium build, environmental performance was also a key deciding factor for the choice of all materials.

Hardie® Plank, with cedar texture in midnight black was specified for the facades to stay in-keeping with local Essex design styles.

Close-up of a dark wooden house exterior with a small window, under a cloudy sky.

Having worked with the product before, Barry was confident that it was the perfect material to use. ‘In terms of benefits’ he explains, ‘you can install it in wet weather, and it has a good fire rating which is really important to our customers.

It also saves time; if you are using timber you need to paint it both sides, and often with two coats, whereas Hardie® Plank weatherboard comes pre-finished. We considered PVC too but it just didn’t look anything like as good as fibre cement.

In terms of installation time, Barry comments ‘the cladding only took about 8 working days per house to put up, which is pretty efficient. It only needs a simple nail on fix too.

A modern two-story house with a dark wooden exterior, large windows, and a red roof, set in a grassy yard under a blue sky.

We regularly recommend Hardie® Plank cladding to others. Hardie® Plank cladding looks the real McCoy. This, along with its low maintenance, is why we use it.

Barry Daly

Company director of BUDA Building and Development

Durable, water-resistant wet rooms

BUDA also specified Hardie® Backer tile board for the interiors of the new-build homes, ensuring a high-quality, water‑resistant finish for all wet rooms. Thanks to BUDA Development’s meticulous approach, the scheme achieved a rapid sales turnaround, with all properties sold within weeks of hitting the market.

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